Even the stickiest, oiliest residue from our cutlery, crockery, and cookware is cleaned by dishwashers. By using less water and electricity than older models, the majority of contemporary dishwashers are frequently even environmentally friendly. However, a dishwasher occasionally might start to exhibit an odd funk.
A dirty filter is the main reason why dishwashers smell bad. You can probably find it on the back bottom of the tub if your dishwasher has one.
Why Does My Dishwasher Smell Bad?
A Clogged Food Trap
There may be rotting food present somewhere inside the dishwasher, which is a common reason why the appliance smells bad. The food trap located at the bottom of your tub should be checked first if your dishwasher smells. There is a hole there where the cleaning cycle’s runoff collects. Check to see if there is any leftover food in the food trap’s basket while the dishwasher is still drying. Then remove the bottom dish rack.
If there isn’t any food visible on the surface, try to remove the basket and look deeper into the opening to see if there is anything there. When doing this, take care because there might be loose glass shards in the food trap if your dishwasher has ever experienced a glass break.
In some circumstances, you might think about unclogging any waste that has accumulated by plunging out the opening in the food trap. No matter how you do it, taking old food out of the dishwasher should help to lessen or completely get rid of a smell.
A Damaged Drain Hose
A drain hose works by emptying the soiled water and any small food particles into the disposal device under your sink. Your dishwasher may smell if the drain hose is malfunctioning.
Read More: How Do Portable Dishwashers Work
Look for any bends, kinks, or other issues that might prevent the easy flow of material through the housing by pulling your dishwasher away from the wall, if at all possible. To ensure that material can flow freely from one end to the other, try straightening the hose. You may want to replace the component yourself or seek professional assistance if your drain hose is too damaged to be straightened out.
A Poorly Placed Drain Hose
Your drain hose may be the source of the odor in your dishwasher even if it is not kinked or otherwise blocked by food scraps. Gravity might be working against you if your drain hose emerges from the back of your unit, moves across the floor, and then climbs up to the sink.
Find a way to adjust any drooping drain hoses you may have. Your drain hose should ideally run downward from the dishwasher into the garbage disposal, letting gravity handle the bulk of the work. If the dirty water and food waste don’t have to go “uphill” to the disposal, they’re less likely to get stuck and create a bad smell in the hose.
You’re Not Running It Enough
Even if you rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, small food particles may still be present. Your dishwasher may smell if you tend to fill it gradually over a number of days rather than running it all at once. Using the leftover food particles as food, bacteria can form and grow on dishes. You may be smelling an unpleasant odor coming from your dishwasher because of bacteria that may break down during a cleaning cycle.
Perhaps you should think about using your dishwasher more frequently to solve this issue. Even if it isn’t full, run it on the “light” cycle so you don’t use as much energy while washing fewer dishes.
How to Clean a Dishwasher
It’s important to enter every nook and cranny of a stale dishwasher if you want to clean it out. According to Appliances Online, the first step is to remove the top and bottom racks. Wear rubber gloves because it can get quite icky. Depending on your model, you might also need to look for any dishwasher filters and remove them as well.
Although it’s simple to unscrew and remove the drain filter on many models, if you’re unsure how to do it, refer to the user manual for the specific model. In the absence of that, you can typically look up the make and model number online and download a PDF from the company’s website.
After the filters have been taken out, give them a 10-minute soak in warm water. Apply a hard toothbrush, soap, and water to the filters to clean them. You could also supplement this procedure with baking soda or cleaning vinegar. Once you’ve removed all the debris from the drain, you can use baking soda in the drain itself as well as on the filters to help remove odors.
Replace the filters, drain, and spray arm after they have been cleaned and deodorized. The spray arm can be cleaned by unscrewing it from the upper or lower mounting mechanisms. For this, you can also use a toothbrush and some vinegar or soapy water. All parts should be replaced as needed, and a damp cloth or rag dipped in cleaning vinegar should be used to clean the dishwasher’s exterior seals. But wait a moment before locking the dishwasher. So that it can completely dry out, keep it open.
How to Do a Deeper Clean?
You may need to use something a little stronger if you still smell after the deep clean. It is advised to put some white vinegar in a cup or bowl on the top rack of the dishwasher and run it through one cycle. Use the hottest cycle and ensure that the vinegar bowl is secure so that it won’t spill when the dishwasher runs.
Once the cycle is finished, leave the dishwasher door open once more so that it can air out. Before putting the set through the washer, add a few drops of orange, lemon, or peppermint essential oil for a nicer scent. Your kitchen should smell lovely and it should sufficiently mask the vinegary smell.
Conclusion
Even the stickiest, oiliest residue from our cutlery, crockery, and cookware is cleaned by dishwashers. By using less water and electricity than older models, the majority of contemporary dishwashers are frequently even environmentally friendly. However, a dishwasher occasionally might start to exhibit an odd funk.
A dirty filter is the main reason why dishwashers smell bad. You can probably find it on the back bottom of the tub if your dishwasher has one.
Why Does My Dishwasher Smell Bad?
A Clogged Food Trap
There may be rotting food present somewhere inside the dishwasher, which is a common reason why the appliance smells bad. The food trap located at the bottom of your tub should be checked first if your dishwasher smells. There is a hole there where the cleaning cycle’s runoff collects. Check to see if there is any leftover food in the food trap’s basket while the dishwasher is still drying. Then remove the bottom dish rack.
If there isn’t any food visible on the surface, try to remove the basket and look deeper into the opening to see if there is anything there. When doing this, take care because there might be loose glass shards in the food trap if your dishwasher has ever experienced a glass break.
In some circumstances, you might think about unclogging any waste that has accumulated by plunging out the opening in the food trap. No matter how you do it, taking old food out of the dishwasher should help to lessen or completely get rid of a smell.
A Damaged Drain Hose
A drain hose works by emptying the soiled water and any small food particles into the disposal device under your sink. Your dishwasher may smell if the drain hose is malfunctioning.
Look for any bends, kinks, or other issues that might prevent the easy flow of material through the hosing by pulling your dishwasher away from the wall, if at all possible. To ensure that material can flow freely from one end to the other, try straightening the hose. You may want to replace the component yourself or seek professional assistance if your drain hose is too damaged to be straightened out.
A Poorly Placed Drain Hose
Your drain hose may be the source of the odor in your dishwasher even if it is not kinked or otherwise blocked by food scraps. Gravity might be working against you if your drain hose emerges from the back of your unit, moves across the floor, and then climbs up to the sink.
Find a way to adjust any drooping drain hoses you may have. Your drain hose should ideally run downward from the dishwasher into the garbage disposal, letting gravity handle the bulk of the work. If the dirty water and food waste don’t have to go “uphill” to the disposal, they’re less likely to get stuck and create a bad smell in the hose.
You’re Not Running It Enough
Even if you rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, small food particles may still be present. Your dishwasher may smell if you tend to fill it gradually over a number of days rather than running it all at once. Using the leftover food particles as food, bacteria can form and grow on dishes. You may be smelling an unpleasant odor coming from your dishwasher because of bacteria that may break down during a cleaning cycle.
Perhaps you should think about using your dishwasher more frequently to solve this issue. Even if it isn’t full, run it on the “light” cycle so you don’t use as much energy while washing fewer dishes.
How to Clean a Dishwasher
It’s important to enter every nook and cranny of a stale dishwasher if you want to clean dishwasher out. According to Appliances Online, the first step is to remove the top and bottom racks. Wear rubber gloves because it can get quite icky. Depending on your model, you might also need to look for any dishwasher filters and remove them as well.
Although it’s simple to unscrew and remove the drain filter on many models, if you’re unsure how to do it, refer to the user manual for the specific model. In the absence of that, you can typically look up the make and model number online and download a PDF from the company’s website.
After the filters have been taken out, give them a 10-minute soak in warm water. Apply a hard toothbrush, soap, and water to the filters to clean them. You could also supplement this procedure with baking soda or cleaning vinegar. Once you’ve removed all the debris from the drain, you can use baking soda in the drain itself as well as on the filters to help remove odors.
Replace the filters, drain, and spray arm after they have been cleaned and deodorized. The spray arm can be cleaned by unscrewing it from the upper or lower mounting mechanisms. For this, you can also use a toothbrush and some vinegar or soapy water. All parts should be replaced as needed, and a damp cloth or rag dipped in cleaning vinegar should be used to clean the dishwasher’s exterior seals. But wait a moment before locking the dishwasher. So that it can completely dry out, keep it open.
How to Do a Deeper Clean?
You may need to use something a little stronger if you still smell after the deep clean. It is advised to put some white vinegar in a cup or bowl on the top rack of the dishwasher and run it through one cycle. Use the hottest cycle and ensure that the vinegar bowl is secure so that it won’t spill when the dishwasher runs.
Once the cycle is finished, leave the dishwasher door open once more so that it can air out. Before putting the set through the washer, add a few drops of orange, lemon, or peppermint essential oil for a nicer scent. Your kitchen should smell lovely and it should sufficiently mask the vinegary smell.
Conclusion
There are several potential causes of bad dishwasher odors, including grease accumulation, a faulty water filter, or a leak. Cleaning the spray arms and utensil basket, changing the water filter, or repairing a leak could all be necessary to solve the issue. However, it’s best to call a professional for help if you’re unsure of what’s causing the issue or the aforementioned solutions don’t work.
There are several potential causes of bad dishwasher odors, including grease accumulation, a faulty water filter, or a leak. Cleaning the spray arms and utensil basket, changing the water filter, or repairing a leak could all be necessary to solve the issue. However, it’s best to call a professional for help if you’re unsure of what’s causing the issue or the aforementioned solutions don’t work.
FAQs
Why Does My Dishwasher Smell Like Rotten Eggs When I Run the Sink?
Dishwashers that smell like rotten eggs are most frequently caused by hose backups and filter clogs. Clean out the filter and drainage hose if necessary to ensure that your dishwasher is draining properly.
Why Does My New Dishwasher Smell Like Mildew?
Your dishwasher turns into a bacterial and mildew breeding ground as bacteria accumulates. Your dishwasher may have a kinked hose or clogged drain if it smells extremely musty or damp.
Can You Run Dishwasher With Vinegar?
One cup of white vinegar should be added to a dishwasher-safe bowl and set on the bottom of a full dishwasher. Turn on the hot water cycle for the dishwasher. Any food, grease, soap scum, residue, or other undissolved grime will be broken down by the vinegar.